A CDM, or Central Defensive Midfielder, is the workhorse of any successful team, the player that cleans up behind fellow midfielders, a CDM is both a shield for the defense and a ball-carrying enforcer in midfield.
Every successful team, especially the successful ones, has a player that has the perfect attributes for carrying out the role of a CDM, a tough, defensively minded player that scorns glory in favor of shutting down opposing teams.
What Does CDM Mean In Soccer? CDM is a position in soccer that means central defensive midfielder. They cover the middle of the field, but with a more defensive role than a normal central midfielder would.
What Is a CDMs Role?
A Central Defensive Midfielder does exactly what it says on the tin, they sit in a central role, in a deeper lying position than a central midfielder or attacking midfielder does.
While a central midfielder may be a conduit between attack and defense, a central defensive midfielder rarely heads forwards, and is always moving along the line between defense and midfield acting as an extra layer of cover.
One of the reasons a CDM is so popular, and vital, to any successful team is the general excellent quality of the attacking options the team has. The better the attack, the more often they forage forwards looking for goals, which in turn leaves wide open spaces for opponents to take advantage of counter-attacks.
The CDM is invariably a tireless and selfless player who would rather put in a strong challenge than go forwards looking for goals, and this defensive mindset allows teammates to go forwards knowing the defense has an extra layer of cover.
A great CDM can slow a game down, anticipate dangerous attacks, and often snuff them out before they become a real danger.
The Key Attributes To Being A Great CDM
There are many attributes that make a world-class CDM, and because of the nature of the role, many of the key ones are mental attributes.
A central defensive midfielder can’t switch off, can’t be out of position, and must not lose their focus for 90 minutes. A striker can miss a shot and a game continues, but a CDM that loses their marker can see immediately that their defenders are in trouble.
The 8 key attributes for being a great CDM are:
- Reading the game
- Controlled aggression
- Stamina
- Tackling
- Communication
- Composure
- Strength
- Off the ball movement
1. Reading The Game
Getting into the right position before the danger exists is akin to having psychic powers, and the best CDMs around are often in the right place at the right time. And this is due to their ability to read the game, the ebb and flow of the ball, and being able to take that knowledge and make use of it.
Many of the other attributes needed for a great CDM are rendered pointless without a good head for the game, stamina is all well and good, but running around like a headless chicken for 90 minutes is still pointless.
A good understanding of opponents’ strengths and weaknesses can allow a defensive midfielder to anticipate and react faster than their opponent.
2. Controlled Aggression
The key word in this vital attribute is controlled, a CDM gets into plenty of scrapes, makes last ditch tackles, and is often one of the strongest players on the pitch. Being known as an aggressive tackler is a solid attribute, but it has to be tempered with intelligence, the best CDMs rarely get angry, just forceful.
An opposing player needs to know that they are going to be in a battle, they know they will be kicked, muscled off the ball, and generally made to feel unwelcome, and it is the CDMs role to aggressively disrupt play, while remaining on the pitch for 90 minutes.
3. Stamina
Central defensive midfielders cover a lot of ground, and have to be first to every ball, close down every player, and maintain their performance throughout the game.
Stamina is vital for a CDM to be able to perform their defensive duties properly, and most CDMs train harder than any other player, do more gym work, and more endurance training, to allow them to maintain their performances.
Moving between the lines, and from their own defensive line to the midfield, and back again, is strenuous and hard work, not quite a defender, and not quite a midfielder, a CDM has to be both at the same time.
4. Tackling
The reason a defensive midfielder gets out of bed in a morning, a well timed tackle means as much as a goal and can be the difference between success and failure. Being a strong tackler of the ball is almost a lost art, as many top teams now demand a more technical and cultured player on the ball.
It is this change in culture that has in part led to the creation of the CDM role, the need for one player to have the duties of tackling and retrieving the ball has seen the CDM role become vital.
The better at tackling they are, the fewer fouls they concede, and the quicker the ball is turned around and sent back into attack.
5. Communication
Being the link between defense and attack, as well as being the first real line of defense means that a central defensive midfielder needs to be able to direct both midfield and defense at the same time.
It could be as simple as telling a defender to drop deep while the CDM goes in for the ball, or requesting a midfielder picks up a player to mark while they drop deep to add an extra player in defense, whatever the needs are, the CDM uses their reading of the game to communicate effectively with their teammates.
6. Composure
Calm under pressure and impossible (almost) to get angry, the best CDMs make other players lose their cool, make opponents make mistakes, all while staying calm and composed under pressure.
Teammates can often take a cue from the central defensive midfielders attitude, a CDM that calmly dispossesses an opponent, taking kicks and abuse without reacting, before recycling the ball to a teammate can be a calming influence on the rest of the team.
7. Strength
Upper body strength is vital to defensive players, when a tackle can’t be made, or a player needs shepherding out of a danger area, a strong CDM simply gets in the way, cuts off avenues of attack and bullies opponents into making errors.
Gym work, a good diet, and plenty of lifting weights can take a good central defensive midfielder to an entirely new level. With the ability to tackle, read the game, and the strength to stop players in their tracks, your CDM turns into a highly mobile tank.
8. Off The Ball Movement
In much the same way a parent shouts to a child “walk! don’t run”, a CDM with excellent off-the-ball movement rarely has to break into anything more alarming than a gentle jog. Their reading of the game, along with their stamina, make them strong contenders for the role already.
But being able to read the game early and move into the right areas of the pitch before they become danger areas can turn what may already be a great CDM into an elite one.
As already stated, Chelsea’s N’Golo Konte is a superb CDM, and spectators will often see an opposing team go on the attack against Chelsea, only for Kante to be stood right in front of an attacker.
This isn’t a coincidence, Kante reads the game better than most, and had already, off the ball, made the movement towards where he would need to be in order to break up play.
Every fan loves a great attacking player, every manager wants an N’Golo Kante, and for good reason, an elite CDM is priceless, and becoming a rarer sight in professional soccer.
Are Central Defensive Midfielders Obsolete?
While CDMs are becoming a rarer sight, it is not because they are becoming obsolete, but possibly due to the prevalence of more attack-minded players.
Any manager that knows his stuff knows the absolute value of a quality CDM, and a quick scan of all the greatest teams of the modern era all have one thing in common, a world-class Central Defensive Midfielder.
Also Read: What Does CAM Mean In Soccer?
